Latin beats to spice up Portuguese 'clásico'

This coming Sunday, all of Portugal will come to a standstill during the match between Benfica and Porto. However, the fixture will also be followed closely by many across the Atlantic, as there are no fewer than 32 Latin American players in the two squads – 16 apiece. Benfica boasts eight Brazilians, five Argentines, two Paraguayans and a Uruguayan on its books. Porto has three Argentines and Colombians and some 10 Brazilians. Most are regulars in the two sides.

There will be a whole lot at stake at the Estádio da Luz, with top spot on the line and Benfica looking to prove it is up to the task of challenging Porto's recent dominance. The legendary stadium will also witness a shootout between Óscar Cardozo and Jackson Martínez, the Portuguese top flight's two top scorers.

Cardozo currently leads the way with 12 league goals, one ahead of Martínez. The battle between the pair is reminiscent of the head-to-head between Cardozo and Falcao in the 2009-2010 season, when the Paraguayan bagged 26 goals to Falcao's 25 and captured the league title with Benfica.

Now Cardozo's big rival is Martínez, a powerful marksman whose excellent technique and guile belie his technique. Having joined Porto from Jaguares de Chiapas five months ago, his 16 goals in all competitions have made the likes of Falcao and Hulk – who moved to Zenit at the beginning of the season – a distant memory.

Other highly rated players in the shop window during the match will be Paraguay's Lorenzo Melgarejo and Spanish-Brazilian forward Rodrigo Moreno. Porto's big star, Colombia's James Rodríguez, will miss the game through injury.